When Marshall met Mary
by vinh
Summary: AU. On how Marshall and Mary might have met if life had been different.
1. I

Title:** When Marshall met Mary**

Rating: PG for now.

Pairings/Characters: Marshall/Mary

Summary: AU ways of how they could have met.

Spoilers: none

AN: AU. If there are more chapters, they may or may not be a continuation of the prior chapter(s). Just borrowing the characters for my own amusement. Unbetad.

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He stared blankly out the window, dried tear tracks on his face as he addled mind idly wondered how he got to this place. Its so cold and dreary. A life-sucking void. All he recalled was a smiling woman looking down at him before she gathering him tightly in her arms, whispering words of love. The next part in his memory is a chaotic mash full of bright colors, screeching sounds, and he could have sworn he was flying.

Only to wake up to pain and into utter confusion. Not a familiar face in sight. Where was that woman who told him to be brave for her? Why wasn't she here? Why can't he remember? Why was no one there when he woke up? Why? WHY?

"Why are you crying?" a small voice asked him.

He is pulled away from the void that occupied his mind and looked around to see a blonde haired girl holding a stuffed bear in front of him.

"I'm crying?" he asked her as he listlessly touched his fingers to his face. He is surprised to feel wetness on his face.

"Yes," the girl replied a bit impatiently.

He slowly blinked as his mind finally focused completely on her, "I don't know why I'm crying. I can't remember but it feels like I lost omeone very important."

"Oh," the girl replied as she sat down next to him, "Can I sit here with you? Daddy said that I get have a little sister today but only if I sit quietly and don't bother the nurses."

"Okay," the boy whispered softly as he finally met eyes. Green, he absently noted.

She tilted her head slight as she looked at him before holding out her stuffed bear to him, "This is Biscuit. Do you want to hold him? He protects me from the monsters and always makes me feel better. Maybe he'll make you feel better, too."

The boy hesitantly took the bear from her and just hugged the bear tightly.

"My name's Mary. What's yours?"


	2. Deux

_**When Marshall met Mary**_

_Rating: _PG-13

_AN: _AU. Unbetad. Set during their college years.

If there are more chapters, they may or may not be a continuation of the prior chapter(s). Just borrowing the characters for my own amusement.

* * *

The room was crowded, smoky, and stuffy. The music was thumping, raucous and loud. He could feel the vibrations of the music under his feet. Sneering slightly, his lanky form pushed past the bodies writhing and attempting to gyrate along with the pulsing music on his way back to the bar. Why had he allowed his friends to drag him to a club? This so was not his scene. The constant thumping of the music was starting to give him a headache and he'd only been here ten minutes. Five of which he'd spent in the bathroom wiping spilled beer off his boots.

Finally, seeing an open space at the bar, he didn't even attempt to try and shout over the music and settled for pointed at the beer on tap and holding up one finger. As he paused to take a sip his eyes idly observed everyone that bumped, grinded, danced, flounced, flitted or otherwise slithered past.

As he finally forced his feet to start moving back towards his friends in the VIP section. He was wandering around the edge of the dance floor, when he heard a sound that literally stopped him dead in his tracks. Somehow through the loud pounding music, the shouted conversations he heard a laugh. A woman's laugh.

Through the throngs of people and smoky dim lighting he couldn't help but seek out the woman who made his heart skip a beat with only a laugh. His eyes finally settling on a tall blonde.

He felt an answering smile ease onto his face as she tipped her head back and laughed again. His eyes hungrily drank in her form from the bottom of her high heeled boots, up her skin tight jeans and clinging tank top. She was dancing with a man, his body pushing up against her in a way that seemed more appropriate for a bedroom setting.

She was holding a beer bottle in one hand, her body was absentmindedly gyrating against this other man as her eyes scanned the crowd around her.

He felt a jolt go through him as her eyes met his across withering masses. Her eyes were still twinkled with mirth as she stared back at him. She was the most alluring woman he had ever seen, and he was stunned at the unreasonably jealous he felt at the sight of her with another man.

The mirth in her eyes melted away as her lashes fluttered in response to the look in his eyes. When her eyes met his again all that was left was desire. She shot him a slow sultry smile. A smile full of promises and intentions.

He took a step forward not thinking, instinctively accepting her wordless invitation. He took his eyes off her for a moment as he dodged an amorous couple only to send his beer sloshing down onto his boots and the floor. "Shit. Not again!" he muttered under his breath, before quickly looking up only to find that she had been swallowed up by the crowd.

His heart dropped to his stomach, "No!" he whispered, before frantically elbowed past gyrating couple to reach the last place he has seen her.

"No. No. No," he exclaimed as he turn in a circle to see if his height would allow him to see her in the crowd. Frustrated, he drained his beer in two gulps and dejectedly headed back towards towards the bathroom to yet again clean off his cowboy boots.

ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤ø

"Doofus," he whispered to his reflection as he ran his hand through his dark hair, "Why would she go for a guy like you anyway?"

His self-deprecating musings were cut short by the bathroom door banging open as a bunch of drunk and rowdy guys stumbled in. With one last huff of discontent, he made his way back out into the club. It was time to pack it in.

Walking back to his friends he blatantly scanned the club for his blonde. Disappointed, he collected his coat and offered his excuses to his friends.

After exiting the club, he pauses to look up at the starry night and contemplate of serendipity of allowing him to run into the blonde. His blonde. The woman who makes his hear skip a beat, the air seem sweeter, and colors seem brighter.

Stuffing his cold hands in the pockets of his coat, he turned to walk down the street to his hotel. His eyes flitted past a couple arguing on the other side of the street, noticing that the woman was blonde. His heart ached causing him to stop short and refocus his attention on the arguing couple. He watched with mounting anger as the argument turned ugly when the guy drunkenly started to push the blonde around.

Before he can make it across the street, he watches his blonde head butt the guy and then kick him in the nuts before walking away in a huff.

He quickened his steps to catch up with her as he struggled out of his coat, "That's my girl," he drawled before dropping it over his blonde's shoulders.

"I don't need you or your coat," she snapped back even as she slid her arms into the sleeves, "Are you following me?"

He smirked as he continued to walk beside her, "I'm not. My hotel's this way."

"Sure," she sneered at him before offering, "He didn't take rejection well."

After a lengthy pause he asked "Walk me to my hotel?" the hesitation evident in his voice.

His blonde shot him an appraising look but continued walking with him in a comfortable silence. Her hand brushed his as they walked down the street, after a few times he grasped her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. He barely noticed the wind's bite through his button down. His full focus was on the warmth traveling up his arm from where she leaned into him grasping his hand.

His awareness returned when she broke their comfortable silence to wondered, "Did you call me your girl?"

ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤ø

"This is me," he smirked, he pulled her into the hotel and into the elevator. She willing followed him of the elevator and allowed him to back her up against his hotel room door.

Completely invading her personal space, his voice dropped at least an octave as he whispered into his willful blonde's ear, "Stay, Beautiful."

He eased back a hair to see her response. He was pleased by her flushed cheeks, parted lips and how her hazel green eyes had darkened.

He lightly traced the curve of her jaw with his thumb before leaning down to brush his lips across hers. He deepened the kiss as he felt her hand settle at the back of his neck holding him to her. She tasted of a heady mixture of beer and mint. He felt her other hand settle on his chest.

When they finally came up for air, her fingers traced a path down before lightly resting on his belt buckle, "My name is Mary, not Beautiful," she breathlessly whispered.

"Stay?" he repeated, this time as a soft inquiry. His hands drifted down to her hips pulling her firmly against him. His lips seeking the curve of her neck.

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_Thoughts? Reviews would be lovely._

_There's a very good chance that this chapter will get reworked next week once I get back from vacation._


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